


testing gravity

by sheriffandsteel



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26960035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheriffandsteel/pseuds/sheriffandsteel
Summary: The more he liked JJ the harder it was for Pope to watch him do stupid things even though doing stupid things was such an integral part of JJ’s personality that it was part of the reason Pope liked him.
Relationships: JJ/Pope (Outer Banks)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 60





	testing gravity

**Author's Note:**

> written (late) for mayward week day 1 “People are staring.” + getting together

“You’re going to get yourself killed.” Pope sighed for the third time as he lifted his hand to shield the sun from his eyes as he glared up at JJ where he balanced precariously on the railing of the dock. 

“I’m touched by how much faith you have in me Pope.” JJ placed his hands over his heart and batted his eyes at Pope where he was sitting down in the boat below him. With his arms no longer out to his sides for balance JJ wobbled dangerously on the rail and Pope shot to his feet, making the boat rock, with his arms up in the air like he was planning to what exactly? Catch JJ? The statistical odds of JJ falling forward into his arms instead of sideways into the water (or worse onto the hard wood of the dock itself) were incredibly low. Gravity and velocity didn’t usually work that way. Besides Pope had been trying to get JJ to fall into his arms for years and so far, had nothing to show for it. He didn’t really think gravity was to blame for that one though. 

JJ let out a bright laugh as he regained his balance and continued on his slow creeping walk down the rail towards the boat like he was making his way down a tightrope forty feet in the air. In reality he was maybe eight feet from the water and four from the wood of the dock. Pope knew that if JJ did indeed fall (which seemed likelier by the minute) he would have to land very badly to actually be hurt but that knowledge did nothing to ease the racing of his heart. 

“Dude c’mon. Get down.” Pope tried again, dropping his hands down to his sides grateful that JJ was too busy watching where his own feet were to have noticed Pope’s misguided attempt at heroics. 

“Chill out man. What’s your rush?” JJ asked as he inched slowly down the railing. He still had about three more feet to go until he reached the end where he would undoubtedly jump off, either into the water or the boat itself. 

Pope chewed on his lower lip as he found himself suddenly wishing that Kie or John B or even Sarah was there to help him talk JJ out of his current dumb and potentially dangerous idea. When JJ had asked him if he wanted to take the _Pouge_ out onto the bay that afternoon, just the two of them, Pope had been too excited to even form words and had only managed to nod vigorously in agreement. JJ had just laughed at whatever strange smile Pope’s face had been contorted into, pulling him tightly to his side in a one-armed hug as he said affectionately, “You are so weird man.” 

Four hours ago the idea of spending alone time with JJ had made Pope’s stomach twist up in knots and his palms get sweaty with anticipation. Maybe today would be the day, maybe Pope would finally gather up enough courage to tell JJ how he really felt about him. He spent the entirety of his afternoon classes drafting different speeches in his head about how best to confess his feelings of affection to JJ. He even zoned out during chemistry, that’s how excited he’d been at the prospect of spending the afternoon out on the water with the object of his affection. 

Now though, Pope was seriously regretting the fact that they were alone. He had always had a tough time talking JJ out of doing things, usually because it was so easy for JJ to talk him into doing them. Pope knew it was silly to be this upset about JJ climbing on things (he remembered the eighth-grade parkour phase well) but the thought of JJ getting hurt was making Pope’s heart race and not in the good way the thought of JJ usually made it. 

The muscles of his shoulders were so tight he felt like his shoulders were up around his ears. He couldn’t stand this. The more he liked JJ the harder it was for him to watch him do stupid things even though doing stupid things was such an integral part of JJ’s personality that it was part of the reason Pope liked him. Having feelings for people was so confusing, especially when that person was your friend. Pope wasn’t sure he would recommend it. 

“Can you get down?” Pope asked, his worry leeching on tight to every word until he felt like he was choking on the words more than saying them. 

“I’m almost there!” JJ cried in protest, gesturing to the end of the rail now only a foot and a half away. JJ wavered again, bending near double at the waist to keep his balance. Pope put his foot on the edge of the boat and reached out towards JJ even though he was still too far away for Pope to help if he fell. 

“People are staring.” Pope tried a different tactic even though he knew the moment the words were out of his mouth that it was the wrong choice of words. JJ wouldn’t care if people were staring, in fact he often did things _because_ people were staring. 

“What people?” JJ asked without looking up from his feet. He was now less than a foot away from the end of the rail. “There’s no one out here but us man.” 

It was true but Pope didn’t bother trying to argue with him anymore. He placed both feet on the edge of the boat and reached up to grab the rail himself, pulling himself up until he was balancing on the outside edge of the dock, clinging to the railing and glaring up at JJ. 

“JJ seriously. Can you please just get down?” Pope blinked at the sun in his eyes, shining around JJ’s head like a halo. 

“Why don’t you come up? You’re halfway there already.” JJ had reached the edge of the rail and he was standing proudly in the corner of the dock, one foot perched on each side of the corner. Pope glared up at him even as he tightened his grip on the rail. 

“Why would I do that?” Pope demanded, his irritation beginning to take over his worry now that JJ looked to be almost to safety. “I’ve spent the last ten minutes trying to get you down from there why would I ever climb up?” 

JJ paused for a moment as if he was actually considering Pope’s question as a legitimate one before he shrugged and looked out at the ocean. “View up here is pretty great.” 

Pope ground his teeth together and glared up at JJ wondering how on earth his best friend, the person he was in love with, and the most annoying person in his life were all the same person. Pope knew damn well the view up on the railing wasn’t great because it was the same view that he was looking out on and all you could see were the other boats in the harbor. The view wasn’t great until you got out into the open waters. 

Even as he grumbled this under his breath his arms and legs were pulling him up the railing as JJ cheered above him. 

JJ always had a way of talking Pope into doing just about anything. He wasn’t sure if it was because Pope didn’t want to look bad in front of him or because he would do just about anything to see that smile. 

Pope got both of his feet on the top railing and shakily started to raise. JJ reached out to steady him, one hand on Pope’s hip and the other on his chest. Pope rested his hand on JJ’s shoulder and inched his way upwards, scared that any sudden movements would send them both over the side and they’d hit their heads on the boat below them and die. 

After what felt like ten minutes of the slowest standing in his life Pope felt steady enough on his feet to look around him, although he didn’t let go of JJ while he did it. 

“The view up here is crap.” Pope laughed in spite of himself, all of his earlier annoyance with JJ having left his system. 

“I dunno. It’s pretty great from where I’m standing.” JJ said hesitantly. 

Pope looked back over at him, curious to see what JJ could possibly be looking at that would be worth perching on this worn railing for. To his surprise JJ’s eyes were locked on him. 

Pope’s hand tightened around JJ’s shoulder of its own accord as his brain started to race over all the possible ways he was likely misreading this scenario. As if JJ could hear his thoughts, he curled his fingers into the fabric of Pope’s shirt to pull him forward slightly as JJ inched along the rail closer to him. 

“Pope I really like you.” JJ whispered; his ocean blue eyes unwavering as he held Pope’s gaze. 

Pope sucked in a breath of surprise at the words, his heart racing rapidly in his chest. He was certain that JJ could feel it and he didn’t even care. Let JJ know how much those words were affecting him. Let him know how long Pope had wanted to hear them, or say them, or act on them. He had imagined so many scenarios of how JJ or him might talk about their feelings but never once had he thought they would be doing something dangerous while they did it which he realized now was a serious misstep on his part. It was JJ and him. Of course, they would talk about their feelings somewhere stupid or dangerous. 

He realized suddenly that he had been so far into his mental tangent he hadn’t actually said anything back. “I really like you too.” Pope had expected the words to be hard to get out, like most emotional statements were for him, so he was surprised when the words came out easier than his breaths. 

JJ smiled at him so widely that Pope wanted to take out his phone and take a picture of it so that he could stare at it in wonder all day but he was worried if he made any sudden movements, he would cause them both to go crashing down to the dock. Instead he settled for the better choice of actions and slid his hand around JJ’s neck, pulling their faces closer together. 

He could feel JJ’s breath on his lips and his eyes had just drifted shut when a sudden shout caused them to pull apart. 

“Hey you dumb kids! Get down before you break the damn dock!” 

“Shit.” JJ laughed as Pope tried to calm his thumping pulse. He had started so bad at the shout he had nearly pulled him and JJ down. 

Ignoring the person who’d interrupted them JJ hopped down into the boat easily and not like it was several feet of a drop. Pope looked down wearily but JJ held out his arms and grinned up at him and Pope was jumping before he even thought the action through. 

When it came to falling (or in this case jumping) for JJ Pope had been doing it for years. He didn’t need to think about it anymore. After a certain time, actions become instinctive. When someone sneezes, you say ‘bless you’, when a baby waves at you, you waves back. When the most reckless wonderful boy you know smiles his heart stopping smile at you and holds open his arms saying without words that if you fall, he’ll catch you, you jump.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr @popemayward


End file.
